Now that he's no longer running the Dolphins full time, Bill Parcells has time for outside work. Spike, the cable network geared toward mouth-breathing, bottom-feeding young males, has announced that Parcells will make a guest appearance on the network's "Blue Mountain State," an off-the-wall series about a college and its football team. Parcells is among a sideline full of football people, including Boomer Esiason, Bill Romanowski and Brian Bosworth, scheduled to do the show, undoubtedly little more than cameos.

It didn't take former Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland long to find work. Ireland, who was removed as the Dolphins' GM back in January, has been hired by the Seattle Seahawks to serve as a draft consultant for the 2014 draft, which begins on May 8. In his position he'll likely serve as a sounding board to the Super Bowl champions, which are coached by Pete Carroll, and constructed by general manager John Schneider. Whether Ireland's position with Seattle extends past this draft is unclear.

Former Miami Dolphins czar Bill Parcells was one of seven individuals elected as the 2013 inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Parcells, who serves as the Dolphins' vice president of football operations from 2008 to start of the 2010 season, joins guard/tackle Larry Allen, wide receiver Cris Carter, defensive tackle Curley Culp, tackle Jonathan Ogden, linebacker Dave Robinson, and defensive tackle Warren Sapp as the new inductees....

The Houston Texans have hired former Dolphins assistant general manager Brian Gaine as the Texans' new director of pro personnel. General manager Rick Smith hired Gaine less than two weeks after he left the Dolphins because he wasn't picked to become the team's new GM. Gaine was one of four finalists to replace Jeff Ireland, but the position went to newly hired GM Dennis Hickey, who spent 18-years as part of Tampa Bay's front office. Gaine, who is entering his 16th season as part of an NFL front office, replaces Brian Gardner, who was fired after the season.

Jeff Ireland hears voices. Don't worry. It's not like that. The strain of presiding over three straight losing seasons hasn't finally caught up with the Dolphins' oft-criticized general manager. Instead, it's the echoes of all those legendary influences he's had the good fortune to be around in his football life. "Sometimes all the voices run together," Ireland says during a recent visit of Dolphins brass to the Sun Sentinel, "because it's really the same message.

Bill Parcells has had an accomplished NFL career as a coach and executive of many franchises, but his brief tenure as vice president of football operations for the Miami Dolphins consistently gets swept under the rug. During a conference call discussing his upcoming induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Parcells acknowledged there were aspects of his Dolphins tenure he's not proud of, and one of them includes his departure. "I had to be talked into coming there, and I didn't anticipate the ownership change," Parcells said, referring to Wayne H. Huizenga's sale of the team to present owner Steve Ross, which took place a year after Parcells was convinced to spurn an offer from the Atlanta Falcons and join a Dolphins team coming off a 1-15 season.

Bill Parcells has held the same number of press conferences as the Williams sisters since he, and they, joined the Dolphins: One. Last year, it wasn't an issue. In fact, it was sort of a show of humility and selflessness on Parcells's part, to stay in the shadows while Tony Sparano, the players and even Jeff Ireland got the spotlight for the team's achievements. At this point, just 0-3, it's not imperative that he speaks publicly. But if this season spirals downhill, to 0-6 or 1-7 or whatever, it might be time for the architect to answer a few questions for the fans (through the media)

What on earth was going through Drew Henson's mind? He got the snap and rolled right. He focused in on Quincy Morgan, who had run a short out on the right sideline in hopes of converting a third-and-2. Now, with most of the human debris inside and his arm cocked, Henson had a clear view of R.W. McQuarters closing on Morgan. And he threw the ball, anyway. Zip. McQuarters flashed 45 yards back the other way for a Chicago touchdown that tied the game at 7 and led to Henson's ignominious benching.

Another football savior is riding into Davie. Bill Parcells, a 66-year-old who has worked for four other NFL teams, will be introduced today as the Dolphins' vice president of football operations. He will try to succeed where previous decorated arrivals, Jimmy Johnson and Nick Saban, failed to lead the Dolphins back to their first Super Bowl since 1985. First, though, he must lead them back to respectability. They currently are suffering through their worst season in franchise history.

Despite signing a contract extension this offseason Dolphins nose tackle Jason Ferguson retired Thursday afternoon, ending a 13-year career, including the last two seasons with Miami. The 6-foot-3, 310-pound Ferguson was originally drafted in the seventh round by Dolphins vice president of football operations Bill Parcells when he was running the Jets in 1997. Parcells, a proponent of the 3-4 defense, admired Ferguson's ability to occupy two offensive linemen and still come up with run-stuffing tackles.

He got along in the interviews with coach Joe Philbin, which sounded like job requirement No. 1. And he spent 18 years working up from the bottom in Tampa Bay, so he appreciates this chance to be the Dolphins general manager. "I'm going to work to make this work," Dennis Hickey said. And that was it. Those were the only crumbs for Dolphins fans to hang their hope on Tuesday. Hickey may become the greatest general manager this team ever had. He may stock this roster with more Hall of Fame players than the five Joe Thomas did in its expansion years.

Five Dolphins-centric takeaways from the NFL playoffs this weekend: 1. Don't get carried away with the Dolphins beating three of the AFC's remaining teams this regular season. Wins against San Diego, New England and Indianapolis give the idea the Dolphins are right there to winning in the AFC. That's a thought to consider and appreciate. But? The Dolphins also went 3-3 against surviving teams (losses to New Orleans, New England, Carolina). Everyone knows there's a thin margin to the NFL's wins and losses, especially in the regular season.

This is about how the Dolphins need a good season to avert another rinse cycle at the top. But let's start here: For the past two years, I've been with General Manager Jeff Ireland. I see his plan. I get his moves. You know how it goes sometimes, when you're listening to music, anticipating the words, nodding to the tune? That's how it's been these last two years. Ireland drafted a potential franchise quarterback in Ryan Tannehill? Made sense. He overpaid for receiver Mike Wallace?

Bill Parcells, on the eve of his biggest career award, remembered his biggest career failure by noting he doesn't talk with one-time protégé, Miami Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland. The fall-out remains from Ireland accompanying team owner Steve Ross to interview Jim Harbaugh without Tony Sparano's knowledge. "I only know (Senior Vice President of Football Operatons) Dawn Aponte down there well," Parcells said Friday in Canton, Ohio, before his Hall of Fame induction Saturday night.

Bill Parcells strode to the front of the stage, gripped the podium in his gold Hall of Fame jacket and began thanking people who helped him here. The Giants. The Patriots. His players. His daughters. His agents. He talked how the Giants players of the mid-1980s might have saved his career, how Giants owner Wellington Mara counseled upon hiring him and how the locker room was a "priceless, priceless classroom to learn. " Here's what he didn't mention by name and, barely, by reference: The Dolphins.

The beginning of an NFL season represents optimism, and should possess excitement and renewed hope. There's usually playoff talk and aspirations for a division title. Maybe someone will whisper those two words few dare speak of in July ... Super Bowl. As South Floridians we've been on this merry-go-round before, but it has been a while since the ride has spun this fast. The intensity has been turned up on the Dolphins courtesy of the $150 million-plus makeover Steve Ross' checkbook has provided.

Bill Parcells has had an accomplished NFL career as a coach and executive of many franchises, but his brief tenure as vice president of football operations for the Miami Dolphins consistently gets swept under the rug. During a conference call discussing his upcoming induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Parcells acknowledged there were aspects of his Dolphins tenure he's not proud of, and one of them was his departure. "I had to be talked into coming there, and I didn't anticipate the ownership change," Parcells said, referring to Wayne Huizenga's sale of the team to present owner Steve Ross, which took place a year after Parcells was convinced to spurn an offer from the Atlanta Falcons and run a Dolphins team coming off a 1-15 season.